27 August 2007

Democratic Presidential Candidates on Gonzales: "It's About Time"

In Washington and on the campaign trail, the Democratic response to the Gonzales resignation was a collective sigh of relief and a huge "It's about time."

Speaking at the the Livestrong Presidential Cancer Forum in Cedar Rapids, Sen. John Edwards introduced a new initiative to fight cancer and suggested those survivors should already be protected "by the nation's anti-discrimination laws and the justice department" and seized the moment to note "now that we've finally gotten rid of Alberto Gonzalez, I will have an attorney general who vigorously pursues the rights of Americans."

Sen. Hillary Clinton, also at the cancer forum, noted the next attorney general should "care about the rule of law more than he cares about protecting the president." The senator cited issues such as " torture, surveillance, military commissions, [and] the firing of U.S. Attorneys" and noted "we need to be especially vigilant and strong in making sure that whoever the president appoints will work with the Congress to bring us back from this precipice that this administration has put us on."

Barack Obama described himself as "pleased" and says Gonzales had long "subverted justice to promote a political agenda".

From the campaign trail in Iowa, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson says the Gonzales
resignation "is long overdue. The President must nominate an Attorney General who is a lawyer for the American people not a political arm of
the White House."

Sen. Joe Biden's blog pointed to a March statement calling for Gonzales' resignation. Biden is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and voted against the confirmation of President Bush's nomination of Alberto Gonzales.

The AP rounds-up reaction to Gonzales' resignation from prominent Democratic and Republican lawmakers and officials.